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Lakota Sioux Indian Dance Theatre Perform at the Schaefer Center

BOONE, NORTH CAROLINA— For over 30 years the Lakota Sioux Indian Dance Theatre has been entertaining and enlightening audiences on a national and international stage. Appalachian State University’s performance series, “The Schaefer Center Presents,” is hosting the dance theatre for a live performance on Wednesday, October 7 at 7 p.m. at the Schaefer Center for the Performing Arts. For tickets and information, call the Schaefer Center Box Office at 800-841-ARTS (2787) or 828-262-4046, or visit http://theschaefercenter.org/.

About Lakota Sioux Indian Dance Theatre

Directed by acclaimed choreographer Henry Smith, the Lakota Sioux Indian Dance Theatre has entertained audiences for more than three decades. The company communicates the powerful messages and resonance of dance and song in Plains Indian Society – preserving and honoring a living history and oral tradition that is central to American Indian society. Performing all over the world — from the Millennium Celebration in Times Square to the Cultural Olympiad in Greece. The Lakota Sioux Indian Dance Theatre began in 1978 with the support of traditional Lakota Indian educators, healers, community leaders, championship powwow dancers, singers and storytellers. Its signature work allows the opportunity for people of all ages to experience the holistic worldview of the Lakota Sioux.

“…great sense of theatricality...a visual treat…more than a spectacle…a ritual celebration that made dancing a ceremonial act.” - The New York Times

The Lakota were originally referred to as the Dakota when they lived by the Great Lakes. Encroaching European-American settlement led them to migrate west from the Great Lakes region. After their adoption of the horse, the Lakota society centered on the buffalo hunt with the horse. There were estimated to be 20,000 Lakota in the mid 1700s. After over a century of conflict with European and American settlers over the Oregon Trail that trespassed the tribe’s land, the Lakota Sioux were forced into reservations under federal rule. Today, there are about 70,000 Lakota, of whom about 20,500 speak the Lakota language. They are found mostly in the five reservations of western South Dakota, while large numbers also live in Rapid City and other towns in the Black Hills, and in metro Denver.

About the Director

Founder and Artistic Director of SOLARIS Dance/Theatre and Lakota Indian Dance Theatre, Henry Smith is a pioneering force in the fusion of dance, theatre, mind-body fitness and martial arts. Smith was a co-producer of a Bollywood film entitled ‘Dil Sachcha Chehra Jootha’ “Who Is An Orphan?” and he has initiated several unprecedented cross-cultural dance-theatre and broadcast television collaborations from the Lakota Nation to West Africa, Japan and India, which have resulted in a number of award-winning performances and documentary programs. He has produced the celebrated Chhau Dancers from India in New York City at World Music Institute and was co-artistic director for “The Way of the Warrior” – a martial and performing arts production held in London.

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Tickets:

Tickets are on sale at the Schaefer Center for the Performing Arts box office and online at http://theschaefercenter.org. The Office of Arts & Cultural Programs is committed to affordable ticket prices, with prices for all events ranging from $10-$40. A faculty/staff and retired faculty/staff discount is available when tickets are purchased over the phone or at the box office. To purchase tickets, call or visit the Schaefer Center for the Performing Arts Box Office at 828-262-4046 or go online at http://theschaefercenter.org.

About “The Schaefer Center Presents”

“The Schaefer Center Presents” is a series offering students, faculty, staff and the community a diverse array of music, theatre and dance designed to enrich the cultural landscape of the campus and surrounding area. By creating memorable performance experiences and related educational and outreach activities, the series promotes the power and excitement of the live performance experience; provides a "window on the world" through the artistry of nationally and internationally renowned artists; and showcases some of the finest artists of our nation and our region. For more information, visit http://theschaefercenter.org.

Appalachian State University is committed to providing equal opportunity in education and employment to all applicants, students, and employees. The university does not discriminate in access to its educational programs and activities, or with respect to hiring or the terms and conditions of employment, on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity and expression, political affiliation, age, disability, veteran status, genetic information or sexual orientation. The university actively promotes diversity among students and employees.